Red Bull is confident the issue both cars suffered in Bahrain has been addressed for this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
A solid second and fourth turned into a “brutal” double retirement, as team boss Christian Horner described it, as Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez stopped in the closing laps of the season opener.
The fuel system was immediately blamed for the problem and now Red Bull has offered a full explanation of what happened.
“Both cars suffered from a lack of fuel pressure last weekend,” said a team spokesperson.
Also Read:
- Mercedes currently ‘a very long shot’ for 2022 F1 championship, Wolff admits
- Binotto ‘never doubted’ Ferrari recovery but urges patience on F1 title hopes
“The correct amount of fuel was in both cars, but a vacuum prevented the pumps from drawing fuel and delivering it to the engine.
“We’ve taken the necessary steps to correct this issue and we expect no problems this weekend.”
With no points on the board, Red Bull is already playing catch up to Ferrari, who scored the maximum 44 as Charles Leclerc led teammate Carlos Sainz, and Mercedes, who inherited third and fourth.
Tough day. Very disappointed with the final outcome ?
Got some work on our hands from now on. We’ll get on top of it and keep pushing to bounce back stronger ? pic.twitter.com/KsuxfZQNoD
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) March 20, 2022
World champion Verstappen admitted the retirement could be crucial for his title hopes later in the year, but for now, expects the ream to respond in Jeddah.
“Last weekend was a tough one for all of us to take, we win and lose as a team and we’ll come back stronger this week,” said Verstappen.
“We have a good package and we were competitive in Bahrain, so there are positives to take from the weekend, and we have a very long season ahead – it’s only the first race.”
